Everybody wants to be a Cat! Not really
by godzillaXgirl
Summary: The Rum Tum Tugger happens upon a friendly human who's passion is cooking. Taking advantage of free meals, he visits her and listens to her troubles. When he finds her dying one night, he asks for Mr. Mistoffelees' help in saving her.


The Rum Tum Tugger came in through the window of a kitchen and walked over to the unattended dinner plate on the counter.  
"It wasn't one of my better attempts at cooking." he jumped at the voice, and looked over at the female human sitting on the floor.  
"Go ahead, you can try it. If you don't like it, I can make something different."  
He was baffled by the unexpected friendliness, but ate some of the salmon. He then spit it out.  
"Sorry about that. Perhaps some tuna instead?"  
He purred.  
She got up and opened the cupboard. After a moment, she pulled out a can, and opened it. She set it on the counter for him, and he ate it up.  
"Perhaps you'd like some cream to go with it?" He rubbed his head against her hand. "I'll take that as a yes."  
After having a feast prepared for him, she scratched his ears.  
"My name's Nikki. I'm studying to be a chef. I moved here to go to school, and I haven't made any friends yet. Feel free to come around whenever you like, dear, and I'll cook you up something."

The next night he came back, finding her at work with a turkey.  
"Ah, welcome back. Tonight is going to be special. It's Thanksgiving, and I'd be glad to share it with you. You'll have to wait a bit, but I swear it will be worth your time. Perhaps some milk while you are waiting?"  
She poured him a bowl.

The night after, when he showed up, a man was accompanying Nikki in the kitchen.  
"Get outta here!" he swatted the cat away from a plate of lasagna.  
"Stop it, Gustav. That food is meant for him."  
"You're not serious? Feeding a stray? It'll just keep coming back!"  
"It's okay. He keeps me company."

The man was over a couple of times afterwards, but no longer commented on the cat. He always talked about his job at his father's company, and wanting a promotion.  
"God, this tastes like shit. Can't we go out to eat sometime?"  
"I like cooking."  
"Look, if you just move in with me, we can just hire a chef, and you won't have to cook anymore. You won't even have to work."  
"I enjoy cooking. And I'm not moving in with you unless we get married."  
"C'mon, Nikki. You know my father would flip if I didn't marry for money."  
"So what about us?"  
"I love you and all, and I like hanging out with you, but no one can find out about us."  
"So am I just wasting my time with you?"  
"Look, without me, you can't pay for college. You need me, if you ever want to be something."  
The Rum Tum Tugger decidedly did not like this man who always smelled of booze and noxiously expensive cologne.

"You know, sometimes I wish I was a cat." Nikki said as she ate some beef noodles. She sat on the counter with him, not having any chairs to sit on in her modest apartment. The Rum Tum Tugger looked up at her, listening.  
"I would crawl on the house tops, play with yarn, fight over fish heads with other cats in alleys, sit in the sun all day, and not have to worry about bills, my brother bumming money off me all the time, going to work with a bunch of people who don't even know I exist, and my boyfriend hitting me..." her voice trailed off as she rubbed her black eye. "I should leave him, I know I should, Cat. But I don't make that much money, and I have a baby on the way. I might have to drop out of school and get a second job, just to support her... I haven't told him yet... I don't even know if he'll stick around once I do."

For a month, he made it a practice to come and eat the gourmet food she prepared for him. At one point, the woman's parents came to visit.  
"Is this your cat?" her father asked, watching as the cat scarfed down some ham.  
"No. He's my critic. He comes every night and tells me if it tastes good or not."  
"Perhaps you should get him fixed."  
"No. As I said, he is not my cat. He is merely a friend, who comes and goes as he pleases. And look how he holds himself. Does that look like someone who would allow another dominion over him?"  
"You're putting too much thought into this, sweetie. He's just a cat."  
"Perhaps."


End file.
